Disinfectant and method of making

Abstract

A non-toxic environmentally friendly aqueous disinfectant is disclosed for specific use as prevention against contamination by potentially pathogenic bacteria and virus. The aqueous disinfectant is formulated by electrolytically generating silver ions in water in combination with a citric acid. The aqueous disinfectant may include a suitable alcohol and/or a detergent. The aqueous disinfectant has been shown to be very effective at eliminating standard indicator organisms such as staphylococcus aureus, samonella cholerasuis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. An aqueous disinfectant, comprising: 
       an aqueous solution of silver citrate and citric acid produced by a process comprising the step of electrolytically generating silver ions in a solution of citric acid and water with the silver ions reacting with the citric acid to form electrolytically generated silver citrate having a concentration greater than the concentration of a non-electrolytically generated silver citrate within a similar or same solution of citric acid and water.  
     
     
       2. An aqueous disinfectant as set forth in claim  1 , wherein the electrolytically generated silver forms an organic metal complex with the citric acid. 
     
     
       3. An aqueous disinfectant as set forth in claim  1 , wherein the electrolytically generated silver forms a chelated organic metal complex with the citric acid. 
     
     
       4. An aqueous disinfectant as set forth in claim  1 , wherein the citric acid has a final concentration greater than 1.0% citric acid by volume. 
     
     
       5. An aqueous disinfectant as set forth in claim  1 , wherein the citric acid has a final concentration greater than 1.0% citric acid by volume and with the electrolytically generated silver citrate having a concentration equal to or greater than 5 parts per million silver. 
     
     
       6. An aqueous disinfectant as set forth in claim  1 , wherein the electrolytically generated silver forms a complex with the citric acid of (Ag(CA) X   + (Cit) − ), wherein CA is (C 6 H 8 O 7 —H 2 O) and wherein (Cit) −  is (C 6 H 7 O 7 ) − , wherein said (C 6 H 7 O 7 ) −  represents a citric acid chemical structure and said (C 6 H 8 O 7 ) represents a citric acid chemical structure, and wherein X is an integer. 
     
     
       7. An aqueous disinfectant as set forth in claim  1 , wherein the electrolytically generated silver forms a complex with the citric acid of (Ag + Cit − ), wherein Cit −  is (C 6 H 7 O 7 ) −  and represents a citrate chemical structure. 
     
     
       8. A process of making a disinfectant, comprising the step of: 
       electrolytically generating silver ions in a solution of citric acid and water with the silver ions reacting with the citric acid to create electrolytically generated silver citrate having a concentration greater than the concentration of a non-electrolytically generated silver citrate within a similar or same solution of citric acid and water.  
     
     
       9. The process of making a disinfectant as set forth in claim  8 , wherein the step of electrolytically generating silver includes electrolytically generating silver for forming an organic metal complex with the citric acid. 
     
     
       10. The process of making a disinfectant as set forth in claim  8 , wherein the step of electrolytically generating silver includes electrolytically generating silver for forming a chelated organic metal complex with the citric acid. 
     
     
       11. The process of making a disinfectant as set forth in claim  8 , wherein the step of electrolytically generating silver includes electrolytically generating silver for forming a complex with the citric acid of (Ag(CA) X   +  (Cit) − ), wherein CA is (C 6 H 8 O 7 —H 2 O) and wherein (Cit) −  is (C 6 H 7 O 7 ) − , wherein said (C 6 H 7 O 7 ) −  represents a citrate chemical structure and said (C 6 H 8 O 7 ) represents a citric acid chemical structure, and wherein X is an integer. 
     
     
       12. The process of making a disinfectant as set forth in claim  8 , wherein the step of electrolytically generating silver includes electrolytically generating silver for forming a complex with the citric acid of (Ag + Cit − ), wherein Cit −  is (C 6 H 7 O 7 ) −  and represents a citrate chemical structure.